Cultural, Sports and Tourism Cooperation between Vietnam and the United Arab Emirates has made significant progress

On the afternoon of January 13, in Ha Noi, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hồ An Phong had a meeting and working session with His Excellency Bader Abdulla Almatrooshi, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Viet Nam.

At the beginning of the meeting, Deputy Minister Hồ An Phong happily recounted the results of cooperation between Vietnam and the UAE in the fields of culture, sports, and tourism.

Accordingly, in 2024, the cooperative relationship between the two countries witnessed significant progress in the field of culture. In October 2024, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính made an official visit to the UAE. On the occasion of the visit, the Prime Minister directed the early establishment of the Viet Nam Cultural Center in the UAE, aiming to maintain the Vietnamese language and script, preserve Vietnamese culture, and absorb human civilization, in the spirit of "internationalizing the values of national culture and nationalizing the quintessence of human culture."
In November 2024, the National Library of Vietnam sent a delegation to attend the 30th Conference of Directors of National Libraries of the Asia-Pacific Region in Dubai, UAE. Not only did they achieve encouraging results in the foreign affairs of high-level leaders and delegation exchanges, but the two sides also strengthened interactions in people-to-people exchanges. Also in November 2024, the UAE Embassy in Viet Nam successfully organized the UAE Cultural Day event in the pedestrian area around Hoan Kiem Lake in Ha Noi. As part of the event, visitors and locals experienced UAE culture and art through exploring UAE architecture and nature using virtual reality (VR) glasses; taking photos at the photobooth, writing names in Arabic; getting Henna tattoos; and taking pictures with models dressed in traditional UAE attire... 

The meeting took place on the afternoon of January 13 at the headquarters of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism

Along with that, the signing of cooperation agreements is also being actively implemented. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism participates in the negotiation process, coordinating to finalize the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between Viet Nam and the UAE (regarding copyright and related rights). The document was signed in October 2024 during the official visit of the Prime Minister of Vietnam to the UAE. In December 2021, on the occasion of Viet Nam National Day at EXPO 2020 Dubai, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and the Ministry of Culture and Youth of the UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Cooperation....
In the tourism sector, Viet Nam shows potential as a promising market, attracting UAE investors due to its convenient flight connections. In December 2023, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam and the Ministry of Economy of the UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding on tourism cooperation. Since August 2023, Viet Nam has implemented electronic visas for UAE citizens. In 2024, the aviation tourism sectors of the two countries also reached positive agreements, such as Emirates Airlines signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet in Dubai in October 2024. Some airlines such as Vietnam Airlines and Emirates have direct flights from Hanoi to Dubai.
Especially, for Halal Tourism (also known as Muslim-friendly tourism, which adheres to the principles and regulations of Islam), Viet Nam has initially gained experience in welcoming and serving Middle Eastern tourists, essentially meeting their essential needs. Especially regarding food services, some destinations such as Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang already have Halal restaurants, ensuring compliance with food requirements and processing procedures according to Halal standards. Some hotels have arranged prayer rooms and provided Halal menus for guests.
In the field of sports, activities between Viet Nam and the UAE have made their mark through the exchange of delegations of referees, coaches, and athletes participating in international sports competitions and major sports events. It can be said that the sports cooperation relationship between the two countries is currently at the level of associations and federations, and there is still much room for development.
Regarding the sports sector, Deputy Minister Hồ An Phong also mentioned the UAE's reaffirmation of its support for Viet Nam in establishing a youth football academy in a location chosen by Viet Nam. Within the framework of the official visit to the UAE in October 2024, the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism sent Diplomatic Note No. 168/HTQT dated December 30, 2024, to the UAE Embassy in Vietnam, providing information about the necessary facilities to establish an international-standard football academy in Viet Nam.
Based on the cooperation results achieved in the field of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, Deputy Minister Hồ An Phong hopes that in the future, Viet Nam and the UAE will continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation to fully harness the untapped potential.
In terms of culture, the Deputy Minister proposed that both sides need to promote the implementation of specific cooperative activities such as cultural exchanges, arts, and heritage... to enhance the public's understanding of each country's national identity, culture, and arts; explore the possibility of cooperation, support for the cultural and creative industries, and support for the talents of both countries. Along with that, promote delegation exchanges, encourage artistic troupes to interact and perform in each country... The Deputy Minister also proposed that the UAE coordinate and provide support for Viet Nam to open a Vietnamese Cultural Center in the UAE as directed by the Prime Minister.
Regarding sports, the Deputy Minister expressed a desire for the UAE to promote support for Viet Nam in establishing a local youth football academy as proposed by Viet Nam. Requesting UAE to support Vietnam in some of its strong sports disciplines. In addition, other tasks related to the field of sports, such as experts, training, and management personnel, were also proposed by the Deputy Minister for support from the UAE.
Regarding tourism, Deputy Minister Hồ An Phong hopes that both sides will create mutual conditions for citizens of both countries to travel easily through more open and flexible visa policies. Thereby contributing to an increase in the number of tourists between the two countries.
Deputy Minister Hồ An Phong also believes that the field of culture, sports, tourism, and diplomacy between Viet Nam and the UAE will reach new heights as cooperation activities between the two countries are expanded in a comprehensive and in-depth manner, along with the supportive role of the Ambassador.
Ambassador Bader Abdulla Almatrooshi expressed strong agreement with the proposals from Deputy Minister Hồ An Phong; at the same time, he concurred with the viewpoint of elevating cultural and tourism cooperation between the two countries. Ambassador Bader Abdulla Almatrooshi proposed: The two sides need to enhance participation in each other's cultural events; Strengthen the exchange of artist delegations; Support each other in the project to establish the Viet Nam Cultural Center in the UAE and the UAE Cultural Center in Viet Nam; Enhance cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in translating and publishing some books about the UAE.
Regarding tourism, Ambassador Bader Abdulla Almatrooshi stated that the UAE is researching solutions to simplify visa procedures to attract tourists, including Vietnamese tourists. The UAE will continue to collaborate with Viet Nam to develop Halal tourism products.
Regarding sports, in addition to agreeing with the proposals of Deputy Minister Hồ An Phong, Ambassador Bader Abdulla Almatrooshi affirmed that the UAE is ready to provide contacts to support the Youth Football Academy project.

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